The End of the Prologue/The Day Kodaka Hasegawa Became a Protagonist
The End of the Prologue/The Day Kodaka Hasegawa Became a Protagonist is chapter 98 of the Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai light novel series. It is chapter eleven of volume eight. Summary After dashing up the stairs, Kodaka finally reaches the rooftop and finds Rika waiting for him. Rika tells Kodaka that he is twenty-six seconds late, but decides to let Kodaka's slight tardiness slide nonetheless. As Kodaka tells Rika that her recording of him was nothing but a bluff, Rika plays Kodaka's recording reading a BL novel over their school's PA system abruptly, shocking Kodaka. Rika explains that she plans to punish Kodaka for his recent actions, as Kodaka apologizes to Rika as a result. When told by Kodaka that he is willing to receive any form of Rika's punishments, Rika reveals to Kodaka her Nine Lives Breaker, which consists of floating metal balls which is an attack copied from Kobato's favorite anime. When asked by Kodaka about the latter objects, Rika proceeds to hit Kodaka with the metal balls, much to his shock and agony. Faced with Rika's anger for him and her attacking metal projectiles, Kodaka tries to explain that he was out of options after being confessed to by Sena. Though Rika does share Kodaka's view, Rika exclaims that she is mad about his resulting actions after the confession, including Kodaka befriending Aoi, who at the time was trying to disband their club, and Hinata. As Rika claims that Kodaka has madly fallen in love with his senior, Kodaka declares to Rika that he instead, admired Hinata's personality, adding further anger from Rika towards Kodaka. As Kodaka tries to clarify to Rika that he hasn't viewed at Hinata in a romantic way, Kodaka adds oil to the fire when he unwittingly apprises Rika about the time he accidentally enters the Student Council's office and finds its female members almost bare naked, resulting in Kodaka getting hit by the projectiles in numerous directions. After Rika expresses her eagerness to eliminate Kodaka with the use of a rail gun, Kodaka analyzes Rika's attack methods until he was able to notice the cat ears Rika's wearing, which acts as an antenna for the metal balls; hence, removing it disables the metal balls from attacking him. As Kodaka makes his counter-attack by charging at Rika to remove the cat ears, he instead got bombarded with a wave of the metal balls, causing him intense pain. As they continue on with their chase, Rika reveals to Kodaka that she once asked Sena about when she started to get interested towards Kodaka. Rika adds that Sena's interest to Kodaka rooted from the time he saved Sena from a group of boys flirting with her. As Rika mocks Kodaka for being inconsistent, Rika notes more of the events that Kodaka had spent with Sena, which includes the time Kodaka visited the Kashiwazaki household and their stroll at Nagaya. Eventually, Rika remarks Sena as a cheating person because of the many advantages she holds over Kodaka (esp. being engaged and as childhood friends). When told by Kodaka for Rika to talk the matter to Sena instead, Rika apprises to Kodaka about Yozora being sullen and depressed after the confession. Kodaka notes that her memories of ten years ago are what supports her and has been responsible for keeping on with her identity. Due to this, Rika badmouths Yozora for being too clingy to the past. Upon hearing Rika's insult, Kodaka questions Rika if whether she has any right to complain towards his mutual relationship with Aoi and Hinata, causing Rika to flounder, but immediately Rika changes the subject and then mockingly calls Kodaka a protagonist from a harem comedy. After shouting at Rika for ridiculing him, Kodaka admits that if ever he has the opportunity to become a protagonist of a harem comedy, he would wittingly become one, but infers that he can't because he isn't one and becomes impotent whenever facing a huge issue. Being ridiculed by Rika for being pathetic, Kodaka continues to be rammed by several metal balls as he slowly closes in on Rika. Admitting on Rika's claim that he is indeed pathetic, Kodaka exclaims that he cannot allow the Neighbor's Club - a place he treasures so much - to disappear. As Rika launches her most crucial attack against Kodaka, Rika argues with Kodaka that he isn't being himself and instead acts as an "innocent bystander" within the club, but then abandons it after he can no longer keep up with his facade as he cannot protect the place he considers important with a cheap act of self-sacrifice. Kodaka then yells back at Rika, founding her claim of him to be the other way around; Kodaka argues with Rika for the amount of work she had offered to the Neighbor's Club to keep it enjoyable and at same time, always acting in high spirits, even now as she acts as the villain in front of him. When questioned for her true desires, Rika retreats and yells her true desire: wanting to have friends. Likewise, as Kodaka continues to get hit by waves of Rika's Nine Lives Breaker ''from all angles, Kodaka finally removes the cat ears from Rika's head but then collapses as another wave of the ''Nine Lives Breaker ''rams unto him. Rika apologizes to Kodaka as she reveals that the metal projectiles were being remotely controlled instead and the cat ears being a toy which acts to brain waves. As the two lie in exhaustion, they compliment each other in their fight. Rika calls out to Kodaka, telling him to seek out for her whenever he faces a problem he alone cannot overcome. Eventually, after a short realization, Kodaka asks Rika to be his friend. In response, Rika answers by mimicking Kodaka's usual remark: ''"Eh, what'd you say?", much to Kodaka's nuisance. As Kodaka apologizes to Rika for his ignorance in the past, Rika infers by saying that all of them from the Neighbor's Club are already friends, as the two burst into laughter. Kodaka contemplates that his and Rika's confrontation was a reenactment of Taka and Sora ten years prior, but only without Sora and the prideful Taka, and what remains is the weak and pathetic Kodaka Hasegawa. Kodaka then asks Rika for help, and Rika accepts. As Kodaka narrates that his "long, long prologue" has finally ended, he then intends to confront Sena.